Apparatus for drying and polishing broom-handles.



No. 703,2I7. Patented lune 24, |902.

. C. A. HIDLN.

APPARATUS FR DRYING AND POLISHING BRDOM HANDLES.

(Application led Dec. 28, 1901.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l,

Patented lune 24, i902.

C. A RIDLUN. APPARATUS FR DRYING AND POLISHING B'RUOM HANDLES.

(Application iiled Dec. 28, 1901.1

(No Model.)

THF. mams Evans co. Priorommonuswmarom D C No. 703,2l7 Patented June 24, |902.

C. A. RDLON. APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND POLISHING BRDQM HANDLES.

(Application led Dec. 23, 1901.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3l 775%716'556'5" @ma @Mazze/va ma Nbnms warms co.. PNofoLnNo.. wnsnmcou. n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`CHARLES A. RIDLON, OF ALBA, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO WILLIS K. JACKSON AND GEORGE A.` JACKSON, OF BUFFALO, NEW` YORK.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING'AND POLISHING BROOM-HANDLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 703,217, dated June 24, 1902 Application filed December 23, 1901. Serial No. 86,953. KNO modela To all 1.071.077?, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. RIDLON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alba, in the county of Antrim and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Polishing Broom-Handles, dce., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus deio signed more especially for drying and polish* ing green broom-handles, although the same is equally useful for drying similar articles, such as dowei-rods and the handles of rakes, pitchforks, dac. Such handles have heretox5 fore been dried and polished by tumbling them in a rotary horizontal drum having in its axis a perforated supply-pipe through which hot air is delivered into the drum, the air passing radially from the central supplyzo pipe to the cylindrical wall of the drum,

where it escapes through numerous perforaz' tions in its periphery. As the handles lie lengthwise in the drum and against one another, the air in an apparatus of the above construction cannot pass freely through the,

evenly and imperfectly, but requiring a com.

paratively long period besides.

My invention has for its object the construction of an apparatus by which such handles can he dried and polished in a comparatively short time and in a thorough and uni- 4o form manner, so as to prevent warping of the handles and improve their appearance.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets, Figure lis a longitudinal section of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2 2, Fig. l.`V Fig. 3

is a longitudinal section of a modified construction of the machine. Y

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

5o A indicates a rotary horizon tal drum or cylinder provided at its ends with hollow jour nals or trunnious B, which are supportedin suitable bearings mounted in upright end frames O. These journals register with airinlet openings in the heads of the drum, and in the construction shown in the drawings the journals are provided with flanges b, which are secured to the heads by two rows of bolts b b2.

D D indicate stationary pipes or conduits which supply hot air to the drum through its hollowjournals and which are connected with a blower or other air-forcing device (not shown in the drawings) which withdraws hot airfrom a heater and delivers it into the drum. Theseair-conduits have horizontal branches d, which are loosely but snugly fitted in the reduced ends of the journals, as shown in Fig. 1. Ordinary dampers d maybeV arranged in the conduits for regulating 7o the supply of air to the drum.

The drum is provided near its ends with internal' partitions or auxiliary heads E, forming, with the adjacent main heads, two air inlet and distributing chambers F,with which the hollow journals b communicate. The main heads and the portions of the drumbody surrounding,r the air-inlet chambers F are air-tight, while the partitions E are provided with numerous p'erforations c, through 8c which the hot air issues lengthwise of the drum into the main or, drying chamber G, located between the perforated partitions. The portion of the'drum which incloses this dryinglchamber is perforated for the escape of the hot air and moisture and is provided with a door H for introducing the handles, this doorhaving a hasp or other suitable fastening.

The partitions E are rigidly secured in 9d place, preferably by the youter row of bolts t', which are long enough for this purpose,

and spacing-tubes ha, applied to the bolts between the heads of the drum and said partilions. l

The drum is slowly driven by any appropriate means, `Jthe mechanism shown in the drawings consisting of a gear-pinion 71, mount. ed on a driving-shaft H and meshing with a gear-rim h on the drum.

In the use of the machine the broom-ham dles or similar articles are placedin the drying-chamber G of the drum, preferably by bringing the door-opening to the top of the IOO i and radially, thus completely exposing all of ed in this apparatus are so evenly and com- -pletely dried that when removed from vthe passes thence through the perforated partitions E into the drying-chamber G and'lengthcome polished by attrition.

kof No. l or rst-grade handles is also obtained from the same kind and quantity of timber, thereby enhancing the market value of the handles. f. y l

If desired, the drum may be provided with i drum and spouting the handles into the same, the drying-chamber being filled to about twothirds of its capacity. After closing the door the drum is set in motion Iand hot air admitted thereto. The hot air entering the inlet- Achambers F is'distributed in the same and wise through vthe numeroussmall' cells or spaces left between the mass o f cylindricall handles. The two air-currents forced into opposite ends ofthe drying-chamber encounter each other in the spaces between the han-y dles, producing a pressure which causes the air and moisture to be forced outwardly'in all directions toward the periphery of the' drum, where the same finally 'escapes' after permeating the mass of handles. vBy thus passing the hot air lengthwise through the handles from opposite ends of the.r same instead of delivering the air intorthe axis of the drum the air is compelled to filter through the whole mass of handles both lengthwise:

the same to theaction of the air. and thoroughly and uniformly drying them. `As the hot air is eectually utilized in this manner the period required to dry the handles is correspondingly shortened. n

As the handles are constantly rolled land tumbled by the rotation of thedrumthey be- In ordery toincrease this polishing action, the partitions E are preferably concave on the side facing the drying-chamber Gr.l By this construction thev handles as they roll over .one another Astrike and slip over the concave sides of the partitions and are thereby wedged or shifted lengthwise of the drum, causing them` to rub against one another and more eectually polishing the same. The concave partitions also serve to polish the rounded ends of the handles.

The partitions, which are usually madeof wood, receive 'considerable wear from the. friction of the broomhandles, and to save theexpense and loss of time incident to replacing the same when worn out they are .provided with removable wear facings rordisks E, which can be readily re'newedwhen nec-` essary. These facings are removably secured to the partitions by screws or other suitable fastenings andv provided with air passages or perforations which register with those of the partitions, as shown in Fig. l.

It has been found that broom-handles treatmachine they. are straightand not liable to warp and at the same time comparatively white and free from sap marks, thus improving their appearance. A larger percentage a single air-receiving chamber F and perfoi rated partition E2, asfshowninl Fig. 3.` In this case the air-currentpasses lengthwise through the mass of broom-handles from the inlet end toward the opposite end of the drying-chamber G and then escapes from the drum through the perforations inv its periphery. In this modiiication the perforated partition E2 has a straight instead of a concave face. If desired, the partition E of the firstdescribed machine structed. I claim as myinventionl. An apparatus for drying broom-handles, l & c., consisting of a rotary drum having one of its heads provided centrally withV an airconduit which communicates with the drum, and a partition arranged near said head and chambers, said drying-chamber being provided with air-escape openings, and said partition having passages through which the air issues into said drying-chamber lengthwise .of the same, whereby'the air-current passes may be likewise.` conlengthwise through the spaces between the ends of the drum, and perforated partitions i l arranged in the drum near its ends and forming air inlet and distributing chambers at op- -posite ends of the drum and an intermediatedrying-chamber, into which'la'tter the'air issuesin`opposite directions lengthwise of the drum, said drying-chamber beingprovided in its cylindrical wall with :air-escape openings, substantially as set forth.

roo

3. A drying apparatus, consisting of a ro- (my drum having tight heads @evidemmh hollow journals which communicate with the Y ends of the drum, and perfoiatedpartitions arranged in the drum nearits endsland form-` ing air inlet and distributing chambers atopposite ends of the drum and an intermediate drying-chamber, the latter having air-escape i openings in its cylindrical wall, and said partitions being concave in the side facing the IIO conduit which `communicates with thedrum,

and a perforated partition arranged near said Witness my hand this 16th day of 'Decema ber, 1901. CHARLES A. RIDLON. Witnesses:

CHARLES R. DUGGAN, WILLIS K. JACKSON.

85 forming separate air-distributing and drying y 

